Complex Collision (1)
"……."
A silent room. The rustle of turning pages echoed through the air. The red-haired youth, Julius, the Third Prince of the Barhart Empire, who had been absorbed in the printed words in his hands, quietly closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts.
One of his subordinates, Spider's report, contained detailed information gathered within the Academy, along with an account of her encounter with Chrome Midas, whom he had ordered her to approach. It even recorded how the man had claimed he was someone's puppet, that he was being blackmailed, and had asked for her help.
"How peculiar."
The hero of the Mars Duchy incident. Lyla's trusted aide. Some praised him as a rising star of the era, while others dismissed him as nothing more than a lucky opportunist who had ridden on the princess's coattails. Yet the fact remained that the youth had secured his own position and reputation by this point.
And yet such a man had revealed his own secrets to Cuella Panel, the daughter of a mere viscount? Of course, one did not necessarily divulge information only to those one believed were competent and capable of helping. People often became loose-lipped when they underestimated someone and let their guard down. But this case was different. It was not a careless slip of the tongue—it was a direct request for assistance.
Asking for help from someone inferior in martial prowess, influence, and authority alike, someone who could not possibly handle whatever burden he carried… the contradiction was glaring.
"Simple mockery? Or a probe?"
From Chrome Midas's perspective, it would not be strange to suspect that Cuella Panel had approached him with some hidden motive. And assuming there was someone behind her… that, too, was not unnatural. But there was no basis for believing that the person behind her possessed greater power than whoever was blackmailing him.
Three hypotheses formed in Julius's mind.
First: "The talk of blackmail and puppets is a lie. Chrome Midas sees Cuella Panel as a honey trap sent to latch onto his rising success and is feeding her meaningless information to mock and confuse her."
In that case, no special countermeasures were needed. Simply feign ignorance to the end. Even if it caused Chrome Midas to distance himself from Cuella Panel, there were other ways to gather information.
Second: "The talk of blackmail and puppets is true. Chrome, grasping at straws, or perhaps suspecting a powerful backer behind Cuella, requested her help."
In that case, he would accept Chrome's proposed negotiations. Of course, he would not reveal the truth. As Cuella Panel rather than Spider, he would fabricate a plausible false backer and draw out the full story.
And finally—if Chrome had already discovered Julius's existence behind Cuella and had spoken those words to draw him out—
—Ding.
Just as Julius's gaze darkened, a clear ringing sound pulled his mind back to reality. His hesitation lasted only a moment. Rising to his feet, he spoke curtly.
"Dispose of it."
No reply came, but the documents he had been reading vanished as if swallowed by shadow. Stepping outside, a maid in attendant's garb hurriedly bowed her head.
"My deepest apologies, Your Highness Prince Julius. To disturb you at this late hour…"
"It's fine. I was the one who said not to enter the room without permission. More importantly, what is it?"
Despite frequently working behind the scenes, Julius held no official position or duties, so he was rarely summoned by others. The only exception was Crown Prince Leon, but even he was not so discourteous as to summon him without prior notice at this hour. At Julius's question, the attendant stammered with a deathly pale face. That expression only deepened his suspicion.
Attendants serving in the imperial palace were mostly from noble families, professionals with proper education and refinement. Anyone clumsy enough to stutter before royalty or fail in their duties would have been dismissed long ago. For such a person to struggle even to open their mouth, the matter could only be—
—No, wait. A lightning-like realization flashed through Julius's mind, and the attendant's next words confirmed his guess.
"……H-His Majesty the Former Emperor has collapsed!"
Chaos. There was no better word to describe the state of the imperial palace. An emergency summons had been issued to all members of the imperial family residing in the palace. The empire's top physicians and priests rushed about in a cold sweat, while the guards' alert level was raised to wartime standards.
Only after three hours had passed since the incident, when news arrived that the Former Emperor had safely regained consciousness, did people finally breathe sighs of relief, clutching their startled hearts. The man himself, however, merely clicked his tongue and muttered, "What a pathetic sight over an old man taking a short nap."
"If he takes two more naps like that, anyone with a weak heart might not live out their natural lifespan."
Ordo von Devien, the Chancellor of the Barhart Empire, gave a bitter smile at the venomous remark from Harbard, the elderly archmage standing at the pinnacle of the empire's magic users. Had anyone else said such a thing, it would have been a crime of disrespect, but there was no point in arguing with the eccentric mage who had roamed battlefields alongside Ludwig since his boyhood king days.
"How is His Majesty's condition?"
"Do I look like the imperial physician? Why ask me?"
"Indeed, you lack the noble impression of someone who would dedicate their life to saving others. I apologize."
"…Damn brat. You had a cute side when you were a soldier, but now that you're Chancellor, you've turned into a complete snake."
Grumbling, the archmage continued with a serious expression.
"The symptoms themselves aren't that severe. At worst, it's like a mild fever. He'll be moving around normally again soon."
A mild fever. He would soon be able to move normally. Yet despite the hopeful information, neither man's face brightened. They both knew the truth. The original Former Emperor—if the symptoms were truly that mild, there was no way he would be suffering from illness at all.
The blessing of the War God that the hero Ludwig Barhart had been born with. Those blessed by that star possessed physical abilities that transcended human limits even without magic power, and gained powerful resistance to all manner of diseases and poisons. Ludwig, who had survived being trapped in a barrier that turned the entire area's air into poison during the war against Morian, falling ill during his relatively threat-free life in the palace was itself an abnormal situation.
There was only one possible cause.
"If only it weren't for that wound back then……"
The Judgment War. The monumental battle in which the Empire and its vassal states united to repel the great invasion by the Ivestan Empire, the betrayers of humanity who had become the demons' pawns…… That was merely the official propaganda. Unlike the hegemonic wars, for which detailed records from each nation's perspective remained, records of the Judgment War had been compiled under the Barhart Empire's leadership, and much of the content had been censored.
The fact that Ludwig had suffered a grave injury from a demon during the Judgment War, and that the wound still had not healed, was known to only a select few within the Empire. No medicine or spell the Empire had discovered could completely cure it. The wound continued to gnaw at the Former Emperor, and his body grew thinner and weaker with each passing day, like an old, withered tree.
"The fact that he's endured until now is remarkable. The Star's Blessing played a part, but more than that, it proves how extraordinary his mental fortitude is."
"……At the end of his life, he wants to see whether the spark he personally kindled is truly worth its value."
"The Academy, you mean? Even after graduating, it'll take another two years to form a proper unit… Hah."
After shaking their heads for a moment, they moved on to another topic.
"What about that prisoner? I understand the interrogation has been going on for quite some time."
At the Chancellor's words, the archmage frowned.
"That one's a lost cause."
"…But wasn't reading minds your specialty, old man?"
"Specialty or not, what can I do when the person themselves knows nothing?"
At the archmage's grumbling, the Chancellor looked puzzled.
"You mean they're simply a disposable pawn?"
"It's true they held a fairly important position in their own way. There is some usable information. For example, the 'tower' they created in the Mars Duchy—it was an 'altar' made on the spot using their relics."
"An altar?"
"They identify themselves with the Star Gods and steal the power symbolized by the star from their sacrifices to make it their own. The one from the Mars Duchy was the War God's tower. What it symbolizes is physical strength and resistance, so it steals stamina and vitality from the surrounding sacrifices—that is, people. In the case of the one we captured this time, they possessed the Clear Mirror relic, so if they had successfully created the tower, they would have plundered the reason and wisdom of those around them. Those who had their power stolen would have been left dazed, their thinking ability robbed like puppets."
The Chancellor furrowed his brow. The Demonic Jade that governed magic power, Illusionary Vision that allowed one to see the unseen, Eternity that granted endless lifespan, Love & Charm that won the affection of those around, and even Chicheon, whose exact effects remained unclear. The War God and Clear Mirror had already passed, but if the remaining five operated on a similar structure, it would undoubtedly lead to catastrophe.
And what was even more puzzling was—
"But if you could obtain that kind of information, how is it that you know nothing about their main base?"
"It seems that members assigned 'missions' move with all knowledge regarding such matters erased. Not only knowledge of the main base, but even the method to return there or contact their comrades had been completely deleted from their minds. They believed that if they just carried out their mission well, 'that person' would come find them. Yet their knowledge of 'that person' was hopelessly vague. To place such absolute trust in someone who rummages through their mind and plays with their memories… They're madmen."
"Extract everything you can. I'll increase the number of investigators on my end as well."
"Take it easy. If you think you can't handle it, say so. I'll cast a fatigue-recovery spell or two."
The pillars supporting the empire's massive frame began to move, each fulfilling their respective duties.